Doll holder



Aug. 5, 969 b. 1.. CROSMAN ET AL 3,459,294

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' Jrrazwz/ United States Patent US. Cl. 20645.19 16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A doll case for holding a stand-supported doll, comprising two transparent case members pivotally joined at one end and having a latch at the other end. Each case member has a wedge on its inner surface for engaging the stand, the wedges moving together when the case is closed to firmly hold the stand in place. One case is formed as a bottle, with a bottle cap serving as a latch by fitting over the mouthpiece portions of the case members. Another case is formed as a lollipop, and still another case is formed as an ice cream cone.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to doll cases.

Description of the prior art Dolls are often kept in display cases for protection. The entertainment provided by these dolls can be further enhanced by a novel appearance and manner of operation in opening and closing the cases. The dolls can be mounted on stands, and it is desirable to provide means for holding the stand firmly in place when the case is closed, but which releases it for removal when the case is opened.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a novel and entertaining capsule for the containment and display of dolls.

Another object is to provide doll cases in the form of common objects, for the entertaining containment of dolls.

Still another object is to provide a doll case of simple construction which firmly holds a doll in place when the case is closed, and which automatically releases the doll when the case is opened.

In accordance with the present invention, a doll case is provided for holding dolls, which includes a pair of pivotally joined transparent case members. For dolls held by a doll stand, stand-engaging elements are provided on the inner surface of the case members, which move together to clamp the stand firmly in place when the case is closed.

A doll case constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is in the form of a bottle, with the two bottle-halves or case members hinged together at the bottom. The case members have upper portions which form the constricted neck or mouth of the bottle. A bottle cap fits over the mouth to latch the case in a closed configuration.

A doll case constructed in accordace with another embodiment of the invention is in the form of a hollow lollipop. The hinge for connecting the case halves is integral with the lollipop stick, and the inner end of the stick is used to hold a bow decoration onto the case. One of the case halves has a semi-circular cut-away portion about the lollipop stick to prevent interference with it when the case is opened. A doll case constructed in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention is in the form of an ice cream cone.

3,459,294 Patented Aug. 5, 1969 ice BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a doll holder case constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the doll case of FIGURE 1 is an open configuration;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a doll holder case constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional side view of the doll case taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional enlarged view of the case of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a partial perspective view of the case of FIGURE 3, showing the hinge and stick assembly and bow decoration thereof; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a doll holder case constructed in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate a doll holder or case 10 in the form of a perfume bottle, for holding a small doll 12. The case is formed by a pair of transparent capsule or case members 14 and 16, each having a lower end 18, 20 mounted on a base 22. The base 22 has two sides 24 and 26 joined together by a thin hinge portion 28 to form a living hinge that pivotally connects the case members. The upper ends 30 and 32 of the case members form part of the nipple or simulated constricted mouthpiece 34 of the bottle. The upper ends are held together by a bottle cap 36 which fits over the mouthpiece when the case is closed, to latch it closed.

The doll 12 is mounted on a doll stand 38, the stand including apertures 40 which releasably engage the doll feet to hold or release the doll from the stand. The stand is held in the case by stand engaging members 42 and 44, each mounted on the inside of one case member near the bottom portion thereof which is near the hinge 28. Each stand engaging member 42, 44 has a pair of engaging elements 46, 48 and 50, 52, respectively. The elements 48 and 52 support the lower surface of the base 54 of the doll stand while the case is being closed. The elements 46 and 56, which engage an upper surface of the stand, form wedges which tightly engage the base 54 when the wedges are moved closer together as the case is closed, to firmly capture of the doll stand. The elements 48 and 52 project further into the inner volume of the case than the elements 46 and 50, to facilitate placing the stand into position.

As mentioned above, the case is held closed by the bottle cap 36 which has walls forming an aperture 56 that closely engages the upper ends 30 and 32 of the case members. In order to facilitate alignment of the upper ends 30 and 32 as they are brought together, one capsule end has a female guide 58 while the other has a male guide pin 60 that fits into the female guide.

The doll may be placed in the case in the manner shown in FIGURE 2. The case is partially closed while the doll is held, to make sure that the stand 38 does not fall out of the stand engaging members 42 and 44. Whent the case members are closed, the cap 36 is slipped over the mouthpiece-like end to latch them closed. Doll removal is accomplished in the reverse manner.

FIGURES 3 through 6 illustrate a doll case 70 in the form of a lollipop. The lollipop case has a short cylindrical capsule or case portion 72, a neck portion 74 with a bow decoration 75 thereon, and a lollipop stick 76 projecting into the neck portion. A lollipop stand 78 is provided for receiving the outer end of the stick to hold the case upright. The case is formed by a pair of transparent capsule or case members 80 and 82 which are pivotally connected at the neck portion of the case, and which are latched together at the diametrically opposite end 84. The case is designed to hold a doll 86 whose feet are held by a doll stand 88. The doll stand 88 is similar to the stand of the bottle-like case previously described. Each of the case members has stand support elements 90, 92, and 94, 96 for wedging the doll stand into place when the case members are closed and for releasing the stand when the members are opened. In order to permit easy access to the doll, the case must open wide. A hinge 98 is provided to permit such opening.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the hinge 98 is molded integrally with the lollipop stick 76. The hinge has two sections 100 and 102 joined by two straight thin webs 104 and 105 on opposite sides of the stick, which form a live" hinge. An annular-shaped aperture 107 separate the hinge area immediately around the lollipop stick, from the adjacent portion of the hinge section 102. The inner end 106 of the stick 76 extends through the section 100 of the hinge. The inner stick end is tapered, and it engages a loop 108 of the bow decoration 75. As shown in FIGURE 5, the bow loop 108 extends through an apperture 110 in the capsule member 82, and the inner stick end 106 holds the bow in place.

The hinge and capsule construction allows the capsule member 72 to pivot open almost 90, to the configuration 72A shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 5. To allow for such wide opening, a semi-cylindrical cut-out 112 is formed in the capsule member 72 immediately about the lollipop stick. Also, the adjacent edges 114 and 116 of the capsule members at the bottom of the neck are spaced from each other and beveled.

The lollipop case can be assembled by holding the bow 75 in position on the case member 82 while the inner end 106 of the lollipop stick is inserted therein. Then the hinge section 100 is snapped into place, small protuberances 118 on the section fitting into small retaining holes 120 in the case member. Then the other case member 72 is pressed against the hinge section 102, until small protuberances 122 on section 102 snap into holes 124 in the capsule member. The doll stand may then be placed in the case and the case closed. The latch 84 includes an overhanging latch element 126 on case member 82 that snaps behind a strike 128 on the other case member 80, to keep the case closed. The case member 80 has walls 130 on either side of the strike, with beveled upper edges 132 to guide the latch element 126 into place.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a doll case 140 in the form of an ice cream cone. The case has a case portion 142 in the form of a scoop of ice cream, a hinge 144 in the form of a cherry, and a latch 146 in the form of a cone of the type used to hold ice cream. The case portion has two transparent case members 148 and 150, each of which has an eyelet member 152, 154 at its top. The cherry hinge has two halves 160 and .162 joined by a living hinge 164. Each cherry half has a post 166 that can engage an eyelet member to hold the cherry half to the case member, so that the case members can pivot open and closed about the living hinge at 164.

Each of the case members also has a narrowed bottom portion 156, 158 for reception in the cone latch 146. The cone has four inner protrusions 168 that can engage recesses 170 in the case members, to retain the cone latch in place. Thus, with the cherry hinge 144 in place, the case members can be pivoted closed, and the cone latch 146 can then be pressed over the bottom of the case members to latch the case closed.

A doll stand 172, similar to those described above, can be retained in the case portion by stand support 4 elements 174 and .176. The edges of the stand 172 are supported from below by an inner ledge 178 found in the case members, and from above by the support elements 174 and 176. When the case members are pivoted closed, the stand is wedged securely in place.

What is claimed is:

1. A case for holding a three-dimensional figure toy having appendages, comprising:

a pair of separable case members for forming a closed case, at least one of said members being transparent;

releasable securement means joining said case members together;

a stand engaging said appendages for supporting said figure toy inside said case; and

stand engaging means retaining said stand in fixed position inside of said case members, whereby said figure toy may be viewed through said transparent member.

2. The case described in claim 1 wherein:

said stand engaging means comprises means forming a wedge for engaging an edge of said stand.

3. The case described in claim 1 wherein:

said stand engaging means comprises a first element projecting into the inner volume of said case for supporting the bottom of said stand when said case members are opened, and a second element projecting into said inner volume by a substantially smaller distance than said first element for engaging a surface of said stand opposite said bottom.

4. The case described in claim 1 wherein:

said releasable securement means comprises hinge means pivotally joining said case members for swinging said case members between open and closed positions.

5. The case described in claim 1 wherein:

said releasable securement means includes latch means for holding said case members in a closed position.

6. The case described in claim 5 wherein:

said case members have constricted portions simulating a bottle mouthpiece at said latch means; and

said latch means comprises a cap-like member with an aperture for receiving said simulated mouthpiece portions when said case members are in a closed position.

7. The case described in claim 1 including:

a lollipop stick projecting into a first of said case members through said securement means; and wherein a second of said case members has a cut-away portion around said stick to prevent interference therewith when said case is opened.

8. The case described in claim 1 wherein:

said case members are in the form of an ice cream scoop with constricted portions; and

said securement means includes a hollow cone member for receiving said constricted portions of said case members when they are closed together.

9. The case described in claim 8 wherein:

said securement means also includes a member in the form of a cherry, with cherry halves hinged together and attached to each of said case members at positions opposite said constricted portions.

10. Apparatus for holding a doll comprising:

a pair of capsule members for forming a bottle-like capsule to enclose said doll, each member having a mouthpiece portion for forming a simulated mouthpiece on said bottle;

hinge means for pivotally coupling said capsule members at positions opposite said mouthpiece portions, to open and close said bottle by moving said mouthpiece portions together and apart; and

a bottle cap for engaging said mouthpiece portions to hold them together.

11. The apparatus described in claim 10 wherein:

said doll has a doll stand for holding it; and including capture elements mounted on said capsule members between said hinge means and said mouthpiece portions for firmly engaging said doll stand as said capsule members are pivoted to a closed configuration and for releasing said stand as said capsule members are pivoted open.

12. The apparatus described in claim 10 wherein:

said doll has a doll stand for holding it; and including stand support means attached to the inside of each of said capsule members, each support means including a first element for supporting the undersurface of said stand and a second element forming a wedge with said first element for firmly capturing said stand when said capsule members are closed.

13. A doll case for holding a doll comprising:

first and second case members for forming an enclosure to hold said doll; and

hinge and stick assembly including a first hinge section engaged with said first case member, a lollipop stick extending outwardly from said first hinge section a second hinge section engaged with said second case member, and hinge portions disposed on 0pposite sides of said stick for pivotally joining said first and second hinge sections;

said second case member having a cut-away po-rtion about said lollipop stick to prevent interference with it as said case is opened.

14. The doll case described in claim 13 including:

a decoration member having an attaching portion projecting through said first case member to the inside thereof, said attaching portion having an aperture; and wherein said stick has an inner end projecting through said aperture in said attaching portion of said decoration member.

15. Apparatus for holding a doll comprising:

a pair of capsule members forming a capsule in the form of an ice cream scoop, each member having a constricted end portion;

hinge means for pivotally coupling said capsule members at positions opposite said constricted end portions; and

a cone having a hollow base portion for receiving said constricted end portions of said capsule mem' bers to latch them together.

16. The apparatus described in claim 15 wherein:

said hinge means is in the form of a cherry, with two cherry halves pivotally joined together, and said hinge means includes means for holding each of said cherry halves to one of said capsule members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 40,858 9/ 1910 Bigney.

289,912 12/1883 Huleu. 372,345 11/1887 Valfer et al.

1,223,507 4/ 1917 Mathias. 2,032,696 3/ 1936 Goldblatt. 2,439,045 4/ 1948 Fox. 2,467,138 4/ 1949 Lees. 2,469,589 5/ 1949 Barricini. 2,636,597 4/ 1953 Hinz. 2,731,812 1/1956 Sullivan. 2,821,481 1/1958 Moslo. 3,085,883 4/ 1963 Collier.

JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner 

